Luis Suarez
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (born 24 January 1987) is an Uruguayan international footballer who currently plays as a forward for Liverpool and the Uruguayan national team. Despite a relatively short career at the club to date, Suarez has developed himself into one of the most talked-about figures in English football. A tricky forward who combines imaginative forward play with clinical finishing, and a never-say-die attitude, he has hugely impressed many with his play, and is already often regarded as one of the finest players to have ever played for the club. He was voted fifth in the 2013 100 Players Who Shook The Kop list and claimed the Standard Chartered Player of the Season award for the 2012-13 season. However he has also been embroiled in some major controversies- notably his involvement in incidents with Patrice Evra and Branislav Ivanovic, plus a very public determination to leave the club in the summer of 2013. These incidents have gone some way to damaging his public reputation; as such, Suarez remains one of the most controversial figures in Liverpool's history. Liverpool career After the departure of Liverpool's star forward Fernando Torres to Chelsea for a £50,000,000 fee, Liverpool moved to sign the exciting but controversial Ajax forward Suárez on 31 January 2011 for a fee of £22,800,000. Suárez made his debut for Liverpool on 2 February in the 2-0 win over Stoke City, scoring the latter of the two goals. His first start for Liverpool came in the 1-1 tie against Wigan on 12 February 2011. He scored his second goal on 20 March 2011 against Sunderland with one of his signature tight angle shots. After a set up from Dirk Kuyt he scored his third goal against Newcastle United in a 3-0 win on 1 May 2011. He scored his fourth and final goal of his debut season with Liverpool against Fulham in a 5-2 win on 9 May 2011. Along with four goals in 13 appearances in the 2010-11 season, Suárez also booked 5 assists. His form helped propel Liverpool from 12th to 6th in the Premier League table, and went some way to remedying the ill-feeling that Torres' departure had brought to the club. Suarez quickly became a fan-favourite for his high-energy, 'never-say-die' displays and they voted him the Player of the Month for both March and May 2011. On 13 August 2011- the opening day of the 2011-12 season- Suárez scored his first goal of the new campaign against Sunderland after 12 minutes. He also missed a penalty in the match, which finished 1-1. He managed to continue in the same vein, scoring in the next match against Arsenal on 20 August 2011 having come on as a substitute, to seal a 2-0 win. The Uruguayan striker also played a part in the opening goal of the game, as he pressurised young Arsenal centre back Ignasi Miquel into hitting the ball against teammate Aaron Ramsey, which deflected into the goal. Suarez scored his 10th and 11th goals for Liverpool on 26 October 2011, in a League Cup match away to Stoke City. This was the first match in which Suarez had scored more than once in a Liverpool shirt. His first goal was particularly memorable, as he nutmegged Stoke defender Ryan Shotton before expertly curling the ball into the corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area. Suarez scored once more for Liverpool in 2011, which came as the only goal in a home league game against QPR on 10 December. Suarez was given a one match suspension by the FA for showing his middle finger to Fulham fans in Liverpool's 1-0 defeat to the Cottagers on 5 December, causing him to miss the game against Newcastle on 30 December. The Fulham fans had been taunting Suarez about the investigation being undertaken against him regarding accusations he had racially abused Patrice Evra (see below), to which Suarez retaliated. Suarez was then suspended for a further eight games, beginning with the league match away to Manchester City on 3 January 2012, for the incident with Evra. The ban was met with a great deal of dismay by Liverpool fans, as there was a strong feeling at the club that Suarez was now the club's most important player, and there were fears that the club would struggle to find goals without the Uruguayan in the side. Suarez made his comeback on 6 February 2012, coming on as a second half substitute in a 0-0 home draw against Tottenham. He then started Liverpool's next match, away to Manchester United at Old Trafford. Suarez caused controversy by refusing to shake the hand of Patrice Evra before kick-off, and he was heckled throughout by the United faithful. Suarez scored from close range with 10 minutes to go, however it was only to be a consolation as Liverpool lost 2-1. Suarez' next two goals came in the FA Cup- first on 19 February 2012 against Brighton, and then on 18 March 2012 in the quarter-final tie against Stoke. Suarez opened the scoring in that game with an excellent long-range drive after a neat one-two with Maxi Rodriguez. Liverpool went on to win the game 2-1, sealing a second Wembley appearance of the season, following the club's success in the League Cup. In the semi-final on 14 April, Liverpool prevailed 2-1 against rivals Everton. Suarez scored Liverpool's equalising goal, capitalising on a poor backpass to slot in when one-on-one with the Everton 'keeper. On 28 April 2012, Suarez scored his first hattrick for Liverpool, in a League game away to Norwich. All three of his goals were of a high standard, however his third was a sublime chip from over 40 yards which caught the Norwich 'keeper off his line. The goal was quickly touted by some as being the Premier League's goal of the season. Suarez' next game was the 2012 FA Cup Final, which was his 50th appearance for the club. Unfortunately it was not to be an occassion to remember for Suarez, as the side went down 2-1 to Chelsea. In the summer of 2012, there were reports that Italian giants Juventus were preparing a lucrative offer for Suarez, however on 7 August 2012, Suarez signed a new contract with Liverpool, putting the rumours to bed. The news was received warmly by the Liverpool fans who have installed Suarez as a huge fan-favourite. Somewhat surprisingly, Suarez lost out to Martin Skrtel in the club's player of the season voting, however he did tally up an impressive four Player of the Month awards. After mistakes made by the club during the 2012 summer transfer window, Liverpool entered the 2012-13 season relying on Suarez and young new recruit Fabio Borini as the sole senior strikers in the squad. This placed a greater onus on Suarez to perform to a consistently high standard, and in particular, to increase his goals-to-games ratio- a challenge that he would indeed rise to. Suarez netted his first goal of the 2012-13 season on 25 August 2012 with a well-executed free-kick in a 2-2 draw vs Manchester City. On 29 September 2012, on his 50th League appearance for the club, Suarez netted a hat trick which, like his first Liverpool treble, came at Carrow Road against Norwich. He also claimed an assist as he set up Nuri Sahin's first- and what would prove to be only- League goal for Liverpool. On 28 October 2012, in the Merseyside Derby match away to Everton, Suarez helped Liverpool take the lead when his shot deflected off Leighton Baines for an own goal. Having been criticised midweek by Everton manager David Moyes for perceived diving throughout his Liverpool career- an accusation that had been levelled at Suarez by a number of people in the past- Suarez celebrated by running over to Moyes and simulating a dive. Suarez then put Liverpool 2-0 up and in the last minute of the game- with the score now tied at 2-2, Suarez scored what looked like the winner, only for the linesman to incorrectly call offside. On 4 November 2012, Suarez scored a much-lauded goal in a home game against Newcastle. With Liverpool trailing 1-0, Jose Enrique sent a long ball over to Suarez from his left back position. Suarez, under pressure from Newcastle centre back Fabricio Collocini, brought the ball down cleanly with his shoulder, took the ball around Newcastle 'keeper Tim Krul and slotted into the empty net. He followed up this goal with a strike against Chelsea in Liverpool's next game, and a brace against Wigan a week later to become the first Liverpool player since Dirk Kuyt in the spring of 2011 to score in four consecutive games. Suarez then experienced a small goal drought, but netted again on 22 December 2012 with Liverpool's fourth goal in a 4-0 victory over Fulham at Anfield. The goal was Suarez' 11th of the Premier League season, and saw him equal his goal tally for the entire 2011-12 season. He then surpassed this mark with a brace away to QPR in a 3-0 win on 30 December 2012. Suarez then made it two doubles in two games when he scored two of Liverpool's goals in the 3-0 victory over Sunderland on 2 January 2013. He also provided an impressive lobbed assist that put Raheem Sterling through on goal to open the scoring. On 6 January 2013, Suarez scored a controversial goal in Liverpool's FA Cup tie away to non-League Mansfield. After initially taking a shot on goal that the goalkeeper saved, Suarez knocked the rebound down with his hand before slotting into the net. The goal put Liverpool 2-0 up with the Reds ultimately prevailing 2-1. Brendan Rodgers defended the Uruguayan, stating the handball was 'accidental.' On 27 January 2013, Suarez was selected as Liverpool captain for the first time for the FA Cup 4th round tie away to League One side Oldham. Unfortunately, Liverpool would suffer a shock 3-2 defeat, although Suarez did score Liverpool's first goal and had a second ruled out for offside. Liverpool were then knocked out of the Europa League on 21 February 2013 by Zenit St. Petersburg, though Suarez almost dragged Liverpool to an unlikely victory. With Liverpool trailing 2-0 from the first leg, Liverpool welcomed Zenit to Anfield however they conceded a goal early. Now needing four goals to progress, Liverpool hit three- two of which came from well-executed Suarez free kicks. However the fourth did not arrive and Liverpool crashed out on away goals. On 2 March 2013, Suarez netted a hat trick in Liverpool's away League match against Wigan Athletic. Two of his goals came after he was played through on goal, first by Philippe Coutinho, then by Glen Johnson. These came either side of a free kick, which went in via a combination of the post and Wigan 'keeper Ali Al-Habsi. Liverpool won the match 4-0. Suarez netted his 50th goal in a Liverpool shirt in the Reds' next match, at home to Tottenham on 10 March 2013. The goal came in the 22nd minute as he threaded the ball through the legs of Hugo Lloris from a tight angle after good build up play from Philippe Coutinho and Jose Enrique. At 2-2, Suarez won Liverpool a penalty that Steven Gerrard converted, with Liverpool winning the match 3-2. Following this match, Suarez failed to find the net again until 21 April 2013, in a home 2-2 tie against Chelsea. Suarez had first set up Liverpool's equalising goal when 1-0 down by clipping a cross in to Daniel Sturridge with the outside of his boot, before netting Liverpool's second equaliser in the last minute with a close range header. This made Suarez the first player to score 30 goals in a season for Liverpool since Fernando Torres achieved the feat in the 2007-08 season. Suarez had however conceded the penalty from which Chelsea went 2-1 up, after handling in the area. Suarez also became embroiled in controversy as during the second half, he appeared to bite the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic when the two were involved in a scuffle in the box. The incident (see below) caused a media furore, and Suarez was hit with a 10 match ban from the FA, thus putting an end to Suarez's 2012-13 season. Suarez's season did end on a positive note however as the fans voted him the Standard Chartered Player of the Season. He had also collected four Player of the Month awards throughout the season from the club. Over the summer, Suarez travelled to Brazil to take part in the Confederations Cup with Uruguay. Whilst there, he gave a series of interviews in which he confirmed his wish to leave Liverpool. He initially cited the impact of the media in England, making his and his family's lives uncomfortable, and suggested he would be keen on a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, who were credited with an interest in the Uruguay striker. However Real Madrid failed to follow up their interest with a bid, and eventually Premier League rivals Arsenal stepped in. On 8 July 2013, they reportedly made a bid worth £35,000,000, which Liverpool instantly rejected. Suarez, still openly discussing his future whilst in South America, then began to talk of his wish to move to a Champions League club, and dropped his complaints about the English media, whilst stating that he was pleased with Arsenal's interest in him. On 24 July 2013, Arsenal reportedly bid £40,000,001 for Suarez. The bid was specifically designed to trigger a clause in Suarez's contract, which requires the club to inform Suarez of offers in excess of £40,000,000 and requires the club to consider such offers. The bid caused something of a stir as the specificity of the bid suggested they had been informed of the details of Suarez's contract clause, which ordinarily should remain confidential. There were also reports that Liverpool and Suarez differed in their interpretation of the clause, with Suarez believing it was a full release clause. Regardless, Liverpool instantly rejected the offer and principal owner John Henry tweeted "What do you think they're smoking over there at Emirates?" Brendan Rodgers and managing director Ian Ayre both spoke in the days that followed that they would not sell Suarez lightly, and intimated that Arsenal would need to offer in excess of £50,000,000 to land their man. Rodgers discussed how much of a mistake he felt it would be for Suarez to turn his back on Liverpool and join one of their direct rivals in the Premier League, who he also felt were no bigger as a club than the Reds, and cited the unwavering support given to him by Liverpool fans throughout his suspensions, suggesting Suarez owed the fans a debt. Liverpool fans reacted angrily to news that Suarez was keen on the move to Arsenal, not least because Suarez seemingly had lied about the impact of the media on his wish to leave Anfield, but with Arsenal finishing fourth in the League during the 2012-13 season, they were perceived as the club Liverpool needed to aim to catch up to and overtake in order for the club to reclaim their place in Europe's elite club competition. On 5 August 2013, Suarez's huge impact at Liverpool in his relatively short career earned him a fifth-placed spot on the fan-voted 100 Players Who Shook The Kop list, ahead of such legendary players as Kevin Keegan, Jamie Carragher, Billy Liddell and John Barnes. However just a day later, Suarez garnered a furious backlash from the fans after he gave interviews to The Telegraph and The Guardian, affirming his wish to leave Liverpool and join Arsenal. Suarez accused the club of reneging on an agreement they made with him upon signing his new contract in the summer of 2012 that guaranteed he would be allowed to leave if a Champions League club bid in excess of £40,000,000 for him if Liverpool failed to qualify for the competition. He stated that he would be prepared to hand in a transfer request and pursue legal proceedings against Liverpool if they continued to block his move to Arsenal, whilst also refuting all claims that he was being disloyal to the Anfield club regardless of their self-harming support for him during the Patrice Evra and Branislav Ivanovic incidents. The next day however, PFA chairman Gordon Taylor confirmed that Liverpool's interpretation of Suarez's contract clause was correct. Liverpool and manager Brendan Rodgers reacted furiously to Suarez's interviews. He was ordered by the club to train alone- although this was reportedly due to half-hearted performances in training and 2013-14 pre-season matches. Rodgers stated “There were no promises made - categorically none - and no promises broken,” in response to Suarez's accusations that he was given the manager's word that he could leave for a Champions League club, and Rodgers criticised Suarez's actions as failing to live up to the values of the club. John Henry then sought to echo Rodgers' sentiments and quash all possibility of Suarez leaving, telling the press that Liverpool would now not entertain offers for Suarez from anyone, and described the idea of selling Suarez to Arsenal as 'ludicrous.' During the remainder of the transfer window, Suarez was less outspoken to the press and seemed to accept that he would not receive the transfer he wished. Arsenal admitted defeat in their pursuit of the player whilst no other clubs appeared to make a significant effort to sign him. Suarez remained a Liverpool player after the close of the transfer window, and claimed that he was 'delighted' to be staying. Suarez finally made his return from suspension on 25 September 2013, as he played the duration of Liverpool's 1-0 League Cup defeat away at Manchester United. Four days later, Suarez made his Premier League return against Sunderland, scoring twice in a 3-1 win. Both goals were put across the face of goal by Daniel Sturridge allowing Suarez to put them into the net. Suarez netted again in Liverpool's following game against Crystal Palace on 5 October 2013- his first game back at Anfield since his suspension. After breaking into the box, Suarez tripped but as he fell, still managed to swing a leg at the ball to put Liverpool 1-0 up. On 19 October 2013, Suarez made his 100th appearance in a Liverpool shirt. This came in a 2-2 draw away at Newcastle. Although he failed to mark the occasion with a goal, he did win the penalty from which Steven Gerrard scored, and provided the assist for Daniel Sturridge's goal. Next week however, Suarez netted a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over West Brom at Anfield. His first was a fine individual effort, nutmegging Jonas Olsson before firing into the bottom corner. His next was an impressive header from the edge of the area, after rushing on to meet an Aly Cissokho cross. His third also came from a header, this time meeting a Steven Gerrard free-kick. On 9 November 2013, Suarez scored twice and played a major part in the opening goal in a 4-0 win over Fulham. His first came from a through ball by Jordan Henderson, leaving Suarez to put it past the goalkeeper, while his second was quite similar, this time, Steven Gerrard putting him through. On 23 November 2013, Suarez started in the Merseyside Derby, and scored a free-kick from 35 yards out to make it 2-1 to Liverpool. The game ended 3-3. The following week, Suarez was widely criticised for a poor performance in Liverpool's 3-1 away defeat to Hull. On 4 December 2013 however, Suarez fired four in Liverpool's 5-1 defeat of Norwich. The first was a 40 yard shot that looped over 'keeper John Ruddy and the second was a neat flick from a corner. For the third, Suarez flicked the ball over midfielder Leroy Fer and then fired into the far corner, and his fourth was a 25 yard free kick curled into the top corner. Suarez also assisted Raheem Sterling to score Liverpool's fifth. The hattrick made Suarez the first person in Liverpool history to score three hattricks against the same club. Just three days later, Suarez scored once again, heading in a Glen Johnson cross in a 4-1 win over West Ham. Suarez also played a big part in two other goals that game, forcing first an own goal from Guy Demel, after goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen parried Suarez's shot into the legs of Demel, and then forcing an own goal from Joey O'Brien, as Suarez's shot hit O'Brien's shoulder and went in. The latter goal was later awarded to Suarez by the dubious goals panel, the striker's 15th goal of the season in just 10 Premier League games. A week later, Suarez was named captain in the absence of Steven Gerrard, and continued his excellent run of form, netting twice in a 5-0 win at Tottenham. His first was a close-range finish after being set up by Jordan Henderson, while his second was a chip over the keeper from the edge of the box. During the winter period, reports had emerged that Liverpool were attempting to tie Suarez down to a new long term contract, in what would represent a significant turn of events from the troubles of the recent summer. On 20 December 2013, Suarez put pen-to-paper on a new four-and-a-half year deal worth a club record £200,000 per week. Upon signing, Suarez enthused "I am delighted to have agreed a new deal with Liverpool and have my future secured for the long term. We have some great players and the team is growing and improving all the time. I believe I can achieve the ambitions of winning trophies and playing at the very highest level with Liverpool. My aim is to help get us there as quickly as possible. Without doubt the backing I have received from the Liverpool fans has influenced my decision. I am so proud to represent them and go out to do my best for them every time I pull on the shirt. We have a special relationship; they have love for me and in return I love them back. I will always do my best for them and hopefully we can achieve success together." He added yet another brace to his name in Liverpool's next match- a 3-1 win at home to Cardiff. His first was a volley from the edge of the area after the ball had been flicked up by Jordan Henderson; Henderson assisted his second goal, backheeling the ball into Suarez's feet, who then curled the ball into the far corner of the net. Suarez also assisted Raheem Sterling's goal in the match. On 1 January 2014, Suarez netted his 20th goal of the season, with a free kick in a 2-0 win over Hull. This made him the first Liverpool player since Robbie Fowler in 94-95 and 95-96 to net 20 league goals in consecutive seasons. Suarez's exploits in December brought him a third consecutive, and 13th overall Standard Chartered Player of the Month award, and also his first Premier League Player of the Month award. On 12 January 2014, Suarez scored twice in a 5-3 win at Stoke. The first one was earned through persistance as the striker capitalised on mistakes made by the Stoke defenders, leaving him to poke the ball past the keeper. The second was a curved finish into the far corner, after good work from Daniel Sturridge. Over two weeks later, Suarez started in the 222nd Merseyside Derby, and rounded off a 4-0 win. He picked the ball up on the half way line, ran to the box and curled it past the keeper with his left foot. Patrice Evra incident See: Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra Incident On 21 October 2011, during Liverpool's 1-1 home draw with Manchester United, United left back Patrice Evra made a complaint that Luis Suarez had directed racially abusive language towards him. Suarez maintained his innocence, however on 20 December 2011, Suarez was found guilty of the charges and suspended for eight matches- which came into effect from 3 January 2012 after Liverpool decided against an appeal. There has been considerable fallout from the incident, most notably coming on 11 February 2012 in Suarez' second game back since his suspension. This game was away to Manchester United and Suarez caused a major controversy by refusing to shake Evra's hand before kick-off. There has been considerable damage done to the reputation of Suarez, manager Kenny Dalglish- who has been criticised for his unwaivering support of Suarez, and Liverpool Football Club as a whole. But Suarez insisted he will forget about the incident stating "I will forget, we will move on and I just want to concentrate on my football with Liverpool." Branislav Ivanovic incident See: Luis Suarez-Branislav Ivanovic Incident On 21 April 2013, Suarez bit the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic whilst Liverpool were hosting Chelsea at Anfield in the Premier League. The incident was missed by the referee, however Ivanovic had gestured to the officials during the match that he had been bitten and TV cameras captured the incident. On 24 April 2013, a three man independent panel assembled by the FA chose to impose a 10-match ban on Suarez. Suarez opted to accept the ban and not appeal the decision. Playing style Suarez is a creative forward who can both score and assist regularly. He has a penchant for dribbling and has been known to beat three or four opponents in the opposition box before shooting or setting up a teammate. He has a remarkable work ethic, persistently hounding his opponents for the duration of matches, and works across the entire forward line to involve himself in the play. He has even demonstrated a good tackling ability, often winning the ball back immediately after losing it himself. He has been compared to Kop Legend Kevin Keegan by various sources. He has also been compared to another Reds icon- Kenny Dalglish by numerous pundits, including former Liverpool star Mark Lawrenson, who stated Suarez "might just be the closest" any Liverpool player has come to matching the skill of the iconic number 7. Honours Liverpool *League Cup: 1 (2012) Individual *Standard Chartered Player of the Season: 1 (2012-13) *Standard Chartered Player of the Month: 14 (March 2011, May 2011, August 2011, September 2011, October 2011, April 2012, September 2012, October 2012, December 2012, February 2013, October 2013, November 2013, December 2013, January 2014) *Premier League Player of the Month: 1 (December 2013) *5th in 100 Players Who Shook The Kop (2013) Stats External links * *Luis Suarez' profile on liverpoolfc.com * Suarez Suarez